A New Landmark for New York City

There are hills rising in New York City harbor! On July 25, Mayor Michael Bloomberg broke ground on the latest phase of construction for the West8 design of Governors Island. A flat area on the southern end of the island, which was once occupied by vacant and derelict buildings, is currently being transformed into a lush, undulating terrain.

A new video presented by West 8 provides a cinematic tour of the future park, capturing the sublime landscape that can be experienced when the hills are opened to the public. The dramatic video montage also demonstrates how the landforms are being constructed, using a simple cartoon-like animation that may appeal to the engineer in all of us.

Not long ago I visited Governors Island to witness the progress of the construction and the new topographies were already beginning to take shape. As a landscape designer, it is exciting to watch the transformation of this high profile public space in New York City. I believe that Governors Island is fit to become a notable new landmark in the city, and the fact that there are already up to 8,000 visitors to the island per day is testament to its’ promising future. Currently, Governors Island is open every Saturday and Sunday through September 29. Portions of the new park areas will be open to the public in Spring 2014, but the Hills won’t be accessible until 2015.